Israeli footage shows devastating destruction of Iranian fighter jet

How an F-5 was knocked out

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On June 22nd, the Israeli Defense Forces released video footage from an operation that destroyed two Iranian F-5 fighter jets during a strike against Dezful Airport. The footage confirmed that at least one of the two jets was destroyed. 

The jet was operational

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Dezful Airport is in the southwestern portion of Iran, and while it is unclear when exactly the strike took place, the video marked “the first loss of an operational unit of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force” according to military news outlet Militarnyi. 

In a state of standby

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The F-5s were reportedly in a state of standby when they were targeted and destroyed by Israeli forces. In the video, it appeared as if the jets were equipped with short-range air-to-air missiles for interception use on their external wing pylons. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @idfofficial

Equipped with missiles

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Militarnyi assessed that the missiles could have been US-made Aim-9s or a local equivalent. The footage also reportedly showed that the F-5 destroyed in the footage was connected to a ground-power unit, indicating it was undergoing preflight preparations. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @idfofficial

Iran’s F-5 fighter fleet

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As of 2025, the Iranian Air Force was believed to have between 30 and 60 combat-ready F-5s in its arsenal. However, these older US-developed and made jets are mainly used to support Iran’s more powerful fleet of F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat fighter jets. 

Combat footage revealed what happened

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The Israeli Defense Forces previously released footage on June 16th that showed a major attack on an airport in Tehran that destroyed two Iranian F-14 fighter jets.

Two F-14s were destroyed

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According to a report from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) published alongside the footage of the attack on social media, two F-14 Tomcats were destroyed in the strike. The report claimed that the fighter jets were intended to be used to intercept Israeli aircraft. 

Photo Credit: X @IDF

The F-14s were taken out while on the ground

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In the video, two F-14 fighter jets can be seen parked next to each other before one of the airframes was hit. The video also showed the second F-14 being hit before it burst into flames. 

Photo Credit: X @IDF

Were they interceptors or inoperable?

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Despite the claims made by the IDF, the Iranian F-14s Israel destroyed were likely not intended to be used as interceptors, according to the Ukrainian military news website Militarnyi, which assessed they were likely non-operational jets. 

No longer in service

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Militarnyi assessed that the F-14s were no longer in service and were likely being cannibalized for parts based on the "unusual" position in which they were parked. However, the loss of two non-operational F-14 Tomcats was a setback for Iran. 

Photo Credit: X @IDF

A blow to Iran’s air force

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The two donor aircraft provided a significant blow to the Iranian Air Force since Tehran is currently under sanctions, which makes it impossible for Iran to get access to parts needed to keep its US-made airframes operational. 

Other F-14s have been targeted

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“Reports have surfaced online claiming that operational F-14s were destroyed at other air bases, but no evidence has yet confirmed this,” Militarnyi explained. How this might affect the ongoing war is still not clear, however. 

Photo Credit: X @IDF

Iran only has a few F-14s

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According to data from the Institute for International and Strategic Studies published in its Military Balance 2024 report, Iran owned at least ten F-14 Tomcats at the time, though it is not clear how many of these airframes were operational when Israel launched its war against Iran. 

Photo Credit: X @Aviation_Intel

Were Irans F-14s combat-ready?

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The War Zone reported that the F-14s could have been combat-ready units, but added that the fact that the Iranian Air Force didn’t raise the jets to intercept Israeli attacks or at least move them to avoid being targets did not make sense. 

Another piece of the puzzle

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Tyler Rogoway, the author of The War Zone’s analysis, noted that he had previously written about the two F-14s in question just days before they were destroyed. He reported the two fighter jets had been stored outside of their hardened shelters for years. 

Photo Credit: X @Aviation_Intel

Why does Iran have F-14s?

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It is strange that Iran operates a US-made fighter jet, but Militarnyi reported that Tehran acquired its F-14s in 1974 during the reign of the former Shah. Iran ordered 80 F-14s as well as 714 AIM-54 Phoenix missiles as a way to militarily offset its regional rivals. 

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